


Expression

by WriterToBridge



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Cute, Gen, High Paul Stamets, M/M, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 05:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13496102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterToBridge/pseuds/WriterToBridge
Summary: After Paul Stamets uses the spore drives, he leaves the lab for quite some time.Just as Michael Burnham and Sylvia Tilly start to worry, Paul Stamets returns with something he wants the two of them to look over.





	Expression

“Where’s Lieutenant Stamets?”

The question crossed her lips as suddenly as the thought rose to Michael Burnham’s mind. The only person in the lab to hear the question was Cadet Tilly, who glanced around the nearly empty lab as Michael had a moment before.

“I don’t know.” Tilly paused. Then a smile grew on her face. “Maybe he came to an agreement with Doctor Culber about spore drive. Like, after every time he uses it, he has to check with the doctor to make sure everything’s okay. You know how worried Doctor Culber is.”

“Neither of them ever mentioned such an arrangement,” Michael said.

“Lieutenant Stamets doesn’t talk about his personal life and Doctor Culber’s probably too worried to tell everyone about it. He’s been so distracted. But I’m sure someone knows about it. Besides, where else would Stamets go?”

“That’s what concerns me.”

Tilly’s smile stayed for a second, then it flickered away. Her eyes scanned the room a second time.

“Computer,” Tilly said. Then the door to the lab opened. Michael looked over the the door just up the stairs from the lab. Descending those stairs with a clear hop to each step was Paul Stamets, who’s cheerful smile and bright, reddened face was almost unwelcome. This wasn’t the Stamets that Michael had come to know. She still wasn’t sure how to face him.

“Guys!” Paul cheered, nearly skipping to Michael and Tilly. He was staring at them with abnormally large pupils, but Michael wasn’t sure if the man was really seeing them or not.

“There you are! We were worried. Did you go see Doctor Culber about something?” Tilly asked.

“No, even better,” Paul said. “I wrote Hugh a poem.”

“… a poem?” The words came disbelievingly out of Michael’s lips. But Paul enthusiastically nodded and pushed a small, black, Starfleet issued PADD towards her.

“Here. Read it. Tell me what you think.”

Michael didn’t feel like she was in a position to say “no” to a superior officer, even if he was too high to fully understand his actions. So Michael took the PADD and flipped it so she could read the words. Tilly was nearly leaning against her, reading the words over her shoulder, her soft breaths close to her ear only adding to the uncomfortable oddities of the situation.

The title “I Love You” was scrawled across the top in a bold, clear font. Below it was a lined poem, similar in font to the title, but not nearly as bold. Michael read it slowly.

 _I’ve known since the first time you_  
_Intertwined your fingers through_  
_My own that I loved you._

 _After that big break through_  
_I always, always knew_  
_That you’d been in my world view._  


_Now every day is deja vu,_  
_And I’m reminded how much you_  
_Brought me into a life anew._

 _So no matter what we go through,_  
_Or what the world makes us do,_  
_I will always be with you,_

_My lovely, beautiful Hugh._

Before Michael to utter any words, Tilly practically screeched next to her.

“That’s so sweet! I’m sure he’ll love it. I mean, he can’t not love it.”

Michael looked up at Paul. The lieutenant beamed at Tilly, then looked at her with a smile still, but there was a little hesitancy there.

“It is… very romantic,” Michael answered as she handed the PADD over. She wasn’t sure what else to say. Paul’s smile grew again and brought to it a new light.

“Excellent! I’ll show it to him now.”

“Lieutenant, we need–” Michael started, but Paul cut her off as he started up the stairs.

“I’m sure you to can handle it!”

Then he was gone. The door shut behind him. Silence filled the room. Michael blinked at the wall, then looked over at Tilly, who still had that “the world is good” smile plastered across her face.

“It really is sweet, right?” Tilly asked. It was a rhetorical question though. She continued talking without pause. Michael watched her talk for a moment, then returned to their work. Tilly would follow suit in her own time. For now, she let the cadet ramble about Paul and Hugh and the lieutenant’s newfound expression of love. After a few seconds, Michael let her uncertainty over the whole moment slip away. She let herself be happy for the momentary burst of expression. At least something good came out of this situation.


End file.
